


The Sign of Noble Souls

by aspermoth



Category: NCIS
Genre: Gen, Humor, Near Death Experience, Pathos, gratitude
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-27
Updated: 2011-12-27
Packaged: 2017-10-28 06:48:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/304934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aspermoth/pseuds/aspermoth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the events of "SWAK" and his near death experience, DiNozzo decides to speak with Gibbs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Sign of Noble Souls

Gratitude is the sign of noble souls, they say, and DiNozzo – despite his faults – liked to think of himself as noble soul. Well, near enough, at least. But there were some things that any man would be grateful for. And while Gibbs hadn't fought the plague for him, hadn't sat there beside him, he had been ready to give up until Gibbs had slapped his head and told him, "You will not die."

That meant something. That meant an awful lot. That was something that needed some kind of gratitude, even if it was just a "thank you".

And that was why, fresh out of the hospital and still wheezing like an old man, he was standing awkwardly outside the NCIS building, putting off the moment when he had to go in to actually talk to Gibbs and wondering what in the world he was going to actually say. How do you word a thank you for something like that, anyway? "Hey boss, thank you for smacking me upside the head when I was dying, it really helped motivate me to not die"?

Actually, that one could almost work, if delivered with the trademark DiNozzo wit, but it didn't feel quite right. It was making light of something that shouldn't be made light of. Most things were joke fodder for DiNozzo, but some things you just don't joke about, and a man all but saving your life is one of those things.

A pretty girl in a blue skirt – maybe a secretary or something, he didn't recognise her – walked past and he gave her one of his most charming smiles. The look she gave back told him more than words ever could that he was not looking his best. Damn, and she was a good-looking girl, too.

Then he heard Gibbs' voice behind his left shoulder.

"You should be at home recovering, DiNozzo."

He flinched slightly at Gibbs' unexpected arrival, but – he argued to himself – he was still recovering from, you know, nearly dying, so he was allowed to be surprised by Gibbs suddenly appearing. It was his right. He turned to find the Boss standing there with a cup of coffee and a serious expression. Gibbs getting his own coffee. McGee must be late.

"Hey Boss, thought I'd just come in to see how everybody else was doing. Kate still has that cold, you know."

Gibbs gave him a Look. A capitalised sort of Look. The sort of Gibbs Look that made brave men and women quake and cowardly men and women run for the hills.

"DiNozzo, I don't want to see you here again until you can breathe properly. Understood?"

DiNozzo opened his mouth to argue, then shut it again as fast. You didn't argue with that Look.

"Understood, Boss."

Gibbs started on into the building. Now or never, Tony.

"Boss?" he called.

Gibbs stopped. Turned.

"Yeah, DiNozzo?"

A thousand possible phrases spun through Tony's head, a million different possibilities, but in the end, there was only one to say it.

"Thank you."

Gibbs walked back to him, nodded, and put a hand on DiNozzo's shoulder.

"You're welcome, DiNozzo."

Then he disappeared into the building, and DiNozzo made his way back to his car.


End file.
